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Eco-Friendly London

Take a green tour of England’s capital.

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Rating: 5 out of 5 by EveryTrail members

Difficulty: Easy

Duration: Full day

Overview :
Locavore restaurants, eco-boutiques, and even a solar-powered city hall are a testament to Britain’s long-standing commitment to clean... more » living. For this trip, T+L partnered with Greenopia, the leading publisher of eco-guides to United States cities (greenopia.com), applying Greenopia’s environmental criteria to hotels, restaurants, stores, and sites in London. less «

Points of Interest

Quietly tucked down a narrow lane between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, 51 Buckingham Gate’s modest but distinctive stone façade belies little of what’s inside. Large all-glass doors and whitewashed halls lead to 86 design-centric suites that are well-suited to those checking in for longer stays thanks to fully stocked,... More stainless-steel kitchens, oversize earth-toned sofas, and mahogany workstations. After a day pounding the streets of the hotel’s historic Westminster neighborhood, the best of the hotel awaits: come early evening, well-dressed guests mingle in 51 Buckingham Gate’s magnificent lavender-filled courtyard over sizzling platters of Moroccan barbecue chicken and glasses of crisp North African white wines.

Address:
51 Buckingham Gate
London, England
United Kingdom

Phone:
44-20-7769-7766Less

2. Acorn House

Located in the heart of the Kings Cross area, Acorn House is a "green" restaurant from executive head chef Arthur Potts Dawson. The restaurant’s eco-friendly and sustainable philosophies are reflected in the décor, which features a palette of dark green and browns and sustainable materials like vegetable-based ink on the menus.... More Seasonally fresh ingredients arrive in an environmentally-friendly manner, and the fresh herbs are grown in the restaurant’s own rooftop garden. The ever-changing menu features modern European cuisine with options like Cornish crab risotto and duck confit.

The hotel gets high eco-marks for its on-site recycling: a key card system that controls heating and lights when you’re out; energy-efficient windows and lightbulbs; and a carbon-offsetting program for guests. What the guest rooms may lack in personality, they more than make up for in price.

Crammed with stalls, pubs, shops, and small restaurants, Borough Market is London’s grazing central. Come early on Thursday or Friday and avoid the Saturday crush. Best Bites: At the outdoor grill operated by Brindisa (Middle Market), the smoky chorizo-and-arugula sandwiches on crusty ciabatta rolls are well worth the wait. Or perhaps you’d rather... More indulge in seared scallops on a bacony bean-sprout stir-fry from Shellseekers (Middle Market), whose owner dives for the scallops himself. For dessert, there’s rich St. Lucian chocolate from newcomer Rabot Estate (2 Stoney St.).

Serving as the headquarters for the Greater London Authority (GLA), London’s modern City Hall is situated on the south bank of the Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. Designed by Foster + Partners, the rounded glass building stands roughly 147 feet tall with 10 floors. The landmark, which opened in July of 2002, leans back towards the... More south where it "steps" inward from top to bottom in order to minimize the surface area that’s exposed to direct sunlight. Other eco-friendly features of the building include natural ventilation with windows in all offices, recycled electricity, and the use of cold ground water as air-condition.

A much-loved restaurant in London’s Islington neighborhood, Duke of Cambridge is an all-organic gastropub and the first and only one to be certified by the Soil Association. Opened in 1998, the pub features a high ceiling, exposed brick walls, and lightly-stained wood beams. The kitchen emphasizes fresh food from local, independent producers, and ... Morethe menu changes based on what is in season. Typical fare includes items like whole baked red mullet, slow roast mutton, and chicken and mushroom pie, and there’s usually a selection of vegetarian items as well.

Address:
30 St. Peter’s St.
London, England
United Kingdom

Phone:
44-20-7359-3066Less

7. Eco

Actor Colin Firth’s home design store, located in Chiswick neighborhood, stocks a range of artisan-made, ethical, fair trade, and eco goods. The three-story converted townhouse was renovated using sustainable materials like limecrete and recycled wood flooring and features recycled furnishings and a greywater lavatory. Inside the store shelves are... More filled with assorted energy saving products, eco-friendly bags, children’s toys, and even ecological books. The second floor features home furnishings like wool throws, handmade carpets, oak drawers, and recycled pewter bowls.

Offering fair trade, organic, and ethical clothing, Equa boutique is the perfect shop for the eco-friendly women of London. On a mission to prove that ethical clothing can also be fashionable, the small boutique stocks more than 30 brands, including Annie Greenabelle, Amana, Edun, Kuyichi, and People Tree, all of which operate using open,... More transparent supply chains. Clothing ranges from fabulous party dresses to denim and t-shirts and, of course, everything is made from sustainable fabrics, like bamboo, organic cotton, and soya.

Address:
28 Camden Passage
London, England
United Kingdom

Phone:
44-20-7359-0955Less

9. Insider London

One of the city’s most popular touring companies, Insider London takes you to see some of the best hidden gems in London. Walking tours cover a range of subjects, such as pop culture, sports, modern architecture, and even sustainable architecture. The Quirky London Tour exposes travelers to some of the city’s most bizarre facts and stories;... More meanwhile, the Street Art Tour offers a glimpses at the work of some of the world’s most famous street artists, including Banksy, Space Invader, and Eine. The company also runs bespoke, group, and private tours.

Address:
3 More London Riverside, Off Tooley St.
London, England
United Kingdom

Housed in a hulking converted power station, this vast modern art showplace opened in 2000 but still breaks new ground with installations. Each year Tate Modern hosts the unique Unilever Series, where different artists are asked to create an installation for Turbine Hall. Previous works in this series have included Rachel Whiteread’s casts of... More 14,000 boxes stacked to form a maze of white towers, and The Weather Project by Olafur Eliasson—in which an eerie mist surrounds an immense blazing sun. Six floors of masterpieces by Picasso, Dalí, Warhol, Rothko, and Hirst (among many others) on level 3 and level 5 contrast with the soaring, industrial rooms holding permanent and rotating exhibitions on level 4. Take tea in the 7th floor café and restaurant; its Thames views are as captivating as the artwork. Insider Tip: Board the Tate boat (a ferry that Damien Hirst decorated with his signature multicolored dots; it sets sail every 40 minutes) from here to Tate Britain—just down the river at Millbank and home to works by Brits including Joseph Turner, William Blake, and John Constable along with modern British artists including Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Sarah Lucas. Admission: Free for the permanent collection; tickets required for the rotating exhibitions.

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